Saturday, July 15, 2006

All Roads Lead to the Unmasking

Weird.

I thought I wouldn't have been able to make it to FullyBooked'sUnmasking celebrations today at Rockwell Mall. This was because I promised to attend the first birthday party of my friend's kid after I get off work. However, I just realized that the party will be at the Luna condominiums right beside the mall.

(What's this book I keep harping about? I doubt that it's the second coming of fantasist China Mieville-- after all, it's Campbell's first novel-- but blurbs cite the New Weird writer frequently, as well as Mervyn Peake.

Specifically, it's about a city:

The city of Deepgate hangs suspended over an abyss. Huge chains hold it in place and the city's inhabitants are schooled in the belief that below them in the darkness lives the "Horder of Souls", the God Ulcis.

...And I've always been a sucker for a good city story.)

Hmmph. Might as well check it out. At least say hi to Dean and the others and grab a quick smoke. And try to congratulate Ian too (his work managed to make it to the short-list) if I see him there.

12 comments:

hey banz, i wish i'd known, i would've looked for a "chain-smoking cat."

i was thinking of getting Scar Night, but the writing didn't grab me. maybe the imagery is similar, but, based on the first page, i really wouldn't compare the writing to either Mieville or Peake. as intriguing as the idea of Deepgate seems to be, i think i'll wait for the regular-size paperback.

plus, i'm reluctant to get a book that calls itself the "first in a series/trilogy/quartet/any-other-group -of-more-than-one-book" unless i'm sure i can complete it or the writing really grabs me.

can't remember. P350-500. i'm sure if you can't find a copy at the fullybooked outlets, you can find a copy at powerbooks. they always have one or two in stock somewhere. which edition are you looking for?

the last bookstores i was in were booktopia and fullybooked rockwell, and both stores had smoke and mirrors.

skinny: Heh. I was actually late, coming in around past 7 pm so missed a lot of the stuff. I did get to see them announce the comic book winners and Neil's "surprise" appearance.

Of course I also missed the kiddie party but that's neither here nor there. *sigh*

As for Scar Night, yeah, I actually thought you might not like despite the so-called reference to Peake. Unfortunately, I also checked out the prose before getting and thought it was a little bit clunky at times but that's debut novels for you.

On the other hand, series books don't bother me because I can always not get the next one.

As for books you like, I actually am in firm agreement with you. I prefer good prose more than anything else, which is why I adore Kelly Link. You should try her stuff, some of 'em are online.

Will be reading the short-list this week (hopefully FB keeps them online) so will see how my review compares with yours. ;-)

furher: What skinny said. I really don't get much of Gaiman's stuff unless it's the newest novel. Fortunately, my gf's sisters like Gaiman's short stories so I've borrowed heavily from their library when the collections came out. :-D

kelly link, eh? i've been kinda reluctant because of all the "buffy" comparisons i hear. the anita blake stuff gets those, too, and i really wasn't all that impressed with those books, so i kinda just let the kelly link stuff soak up the same opinion.

plus, i'm a prude when it comes to trying new writers unless the premise/writing really grabs me right away, because i've already got so many books to read that i don't really want to get into too many authors. if i was as filthy rich as Mr Gaiman, though (imagine dishing out the cash for all the cash prizes at the awards!), i'd probably get everything, whether or not i like 'em.

skinny: Waah! Buffy? Kelly Link? Blasphemy! Seriously, check out the link on my blog, I think she has one story on her website for free. (In fact, I think you can actually download her first story collection, Stranger Things Happen, free of charge. Then you can go and order it!)

Moreover, Link only does short stories so easier to swallow. But I gotta warn you, it may be easier to swallow but too rich to digest! (In a good way!)

In other news, I found out two other bloggers did a review of all the short stories:

http://lengthofwords.blogspot.com/

http://villageidiotsavant.blogspot.com/

Nice to know we're not the only ones making the effort. ;-)

fuhrer: Hehe that would be funny. Willie Nepomuceno as Neil Gaiman? Bwahaha!

Dies: Words

Quotes

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity. ALBERT EINSTEIN

I am still shocked that so many people are not more creative, by which I mean more demanding of themselves. The main question we need to ask ourselves is: Do I try to be necessary to the evolution of language? Do I try to be original? And being original means using the tools necessary to be original, not just having the desire to be original. PIERRE BOULEZ

Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death....Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. BERTRAND RUSSELL

I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us... We need the books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us. FRANZ KAFKA

Obviously, then, I think a good critic in any field is a useful citizen, who is positively obliged to be harsh toward bad work. By a good critic, I mean a man with a good ear, a love for his field at best, and a broad and detailed knowledge of the techniques of the field. JAMES BLISH